UN General Assembly declares 2026 as int'l year of women farmers

Ester Adhiambo at her local group's vegetable farm in East Kagan, Homa Bay County. [File, Standard]

The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution to declare 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

The resolution invites worldwide observation of the International Year, through activities aimed at raising awareness of and directing policy attention to the barriers and challenges that women farmers face across agrifood systems, as well as the initiatives, policies and actions that can and are being taken to address these issues and achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women in agriculture.

It invites the Food and Agriculture Organization, in collaboration with the other Rome-based UN agencies, to facilitate the implementation of the resolution and observe the International Year.